Summarize

Winter may very well be on its way, but there are still a few great events through autumn to warm the cockles of your heart. One of those goes down in Pretoria next weekend, when the Inland and Historic Tour visits the Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday 20 April. The meeting will see among the most beautiful racing cars in the country ready to race on that twisty Gauteng tarmac.

Headed by sleek Le Mans Sports, GT and Trans Am racers, and the monsters of the Marlboro Crane Hire Legends of the 9 Hour Production Cars, there are also Evapco Sprint and Pursuit, and IRS Roofsure MHCC Historic races and Historic Single Seaters too. They will be joined by contemporary series including the Lotus Challenge, INEX Legends, Formule Libre, M and SuperVee single seaters, On Track Clubmans with National Sportscars, and Silver Cup 2.0.

Starting with the historic highlights, the Le Mans Sports, GTs and Trans Ams resemble the 1970 Kyalami 9 Hour grid. Peter Bailey’s Porsche 917, Larry Wilford in a Lola T70 Allen Meyer’s Chevron B8, Andre van der Merwe and Herman Kluge’s Porsche 934s and Warren Lombard in a Cobra will have V8 lady Paige Lindenberg’s Fairlane and gentleman Hennie Groenewald’s Camaro and Ben Morgenrood ‘s Mustang to deal with. The Marlboro Legends of the 9 Hour has Ford men James Temple and Carel Pienaar’s Escorts and Djurk Venter’s Capri taking on Alan Poulter’s Volvo 122s, Roger Houston’s Alfa Giulia, Warren Lombard in a BMW 2002ti, a swarm of Minis, and the rest.

Andre van der Merwe’s Porsche RSR will have its work cut out by Stuart Konig and Andre ten Napel’s VW Sciroccos in the Evapco Sprint races on tight and twisty Zwartkops. But will those short straights help his cause? Watch for Martin Botha’s Zakspeed Escort and Gavin Lundin’s Datsun, Nigel Townshend’s Escort and Sean Hepburn, Franz, and Peder Jensen’s Datsun 1200s in chase.  Ahead of Cameron Foster’s Datsun Gerrit, Murray’s Alfa GTV, Mike Bishop’s Gordini, and Johann van der Walt in a Mercedes 280E, and more. 

Eugene Gouws is the International Race Supplies Roofsure MHCC Historics man to beat in his ‘Little Chevy’ Can Am. He has Alan Hooper and Henry Fourie’s Alfa Romeos, Sean Fandam’s Fiat 124 Coupé, Wesley Naidoo’s Ford Capri, Meredith Willis, Mike Gaines and Andries Draper’s Escorts, Daryl Mann’s Datsun, and the rest out to beat him. Back-to-front HRSA Pursuit handicap race highlights will include Gary’s GTV6 and Stan Stacey’s XR8, Stewart McLarty’s XR3, and Mike O'Sullivan in a V-Tec Ballade.

The Historic Single Seaters include Rodney Green’s ex-Les Miller MG Spider harking back to the days of 1940s South African specials racing. Colin Clay and Robbie Frank’s Lotus 23 racing sportscars will also evoke memories, while there are also a couple of Formula Ford Loti in Alan Grant and Ron Liddiard’s hands. They’re up against Shaun Cabrita’s Titan, Paul Richardson and Wihan Tiedt’s Dulon, Stuart Greig and Patrick Dunseith Merlyns, Des Hillary’s Alexis and Alan Kernick’s Tempest. Vees include Peter’s Witter and Michael Kernick’s Capital, a Wilkie, Cobra and two Bolzups.

Talking about Lotus, the wieldy Lotus Challenge always entertains. Watch for Mackie Adlem up against JP Nortje, Clive Wilmot, David Jermy, and Grant Findlay up front. And Sean Hepburn, Nick Hodgson, Andrew Fulton, and the rest in the affordable Locosts. Expect a full pack of Formule Libre, M and SuperVees to chase Allen Meyer’s Formula VW and Formula GTI men Louis van der Merwe and Damien Archer, The nimble motorcycle engined INEX Legends meanwhile see familiar names including Jayden Goosen, Tyler Robinson Neels Jooste and Cyril Jacobs battling it out.

On Track Clubmans gang Rodney Kruis, Dirk Lawrence, Victor Dias and Tjaart Visser’s Hondas, Johan Swart, Jonathan Visser, Carmen and Nolan Fleetwood’s VWs, and Mike Dodd’s MX-5 race against National Sportscar men, Paul Sullivan’s Nash, Richard Beningfield’s RWB, Anton Muller and Glenton Rebello’s Birkins. And a healthy Silver Cup 2.0 field sees Marius Jacobs and Giulio Airaga’s Tigras, Riaan Draper’s Toyota, Pete Walters’ Tata, and Karel Stols Mazda RX7 head another packed grid.

With practice on Friday, qualifying Saturday morning before a full race day through the afternoon, circuit entry is R100 for adults, R80 for students and kids are free. Log on to www.zwartkops.co.za for more info.